If you’re wondering how Adventures in Expat Land came to be, here’s the scoop:

What do you get when an international policy wonk by day, writer by night packs up the family to follow Husband overseas?

Adventures. (The fun and the interesting kind, aside from dealing with crammed closets due to lack of storage space and a ‘to-do’ list a mile long.)

In Expat Land. We may have been expats in the Netherlands, but it was also our home for four years. Until we decided in spring 2013 – for a host of reasons, primarily centered around family – that it was time to head back to the US.

Plus the freedom to completely change careers: I’m now a full-time writer, author (The Emotionally Resilient Expat: Engage, Adapt and Thrive Across Cultures, with another in the series on the way), blogger, consultant/speaker.

And an incredibly exhilarating, challenging, and occasionally maddening expat experience.

[Oh, and for the record, I never wish to be referred to as a ‘trailing spouse’ in expat parlance. It makes me sound like some clinging bougainvillea vine trailing off a trellis. Since labels abound and can be useful, I prefer ‘accompanying partner’.]

What’s life like overseas? In some ways it’s a lot like moving to another state or province or region ‘back home’. Starting anew: meeting new people, making friends, becoming acquainted with your community, getting involved, expanding your mind, putting down roots.

Only with a bit of a twist since you’re living in a foreign country. Like learning a new language, trying out different foods/holidays/traditions, following different laws and social norms, adjusting to a new culture.

Welkom!

So welcome (welkom, actually). Come along as I chronicle what it was like making a new life in a new place. Now that we’re in the midst of the long transition process associated with repatriating, I’ll be addressing the ups and downs of making an entirely new life again in a not-so-new place.

Life goes on but we haven’t left the international arena, not by any stretch of the imagination.

I’ll share stories and insights about the mundane and the exciting, the boring and the different, the funny and the not-so-funny.

Oh, and I do love odd, so that’ll be in there, too. Usually finding the upside. Not always, but usually.

More than anything, I’d like this to be a conversation. That’s why comments are so important – they offer additional information or perspectives that benefit all of us: you, me, fellow readers (aka Adventurers), site visitors.

Let me know when something I’ve written has struck a chord, and what just plain struck out. I do insist on civility, but other than that, all I ask for is honesty. Tell me what’s on your mind. I can assure you, my intent is not residing in ‘know-it-all-ville’.

And while you’re at it, I’d love it if you tell family and friends to check out the site, too. (I’m even willing to take your enemies as well. As long as they’re civil.)

* * *

If you still need to know more, here’s the long version.

Living abroad was always in the back of our minds. My husband is an adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK in expat parlance) having spent his middle and high school years in Italy and a year in England during college. I grew up dreaming about living overseas, and spent one summer during college living in Mexico studying Spanish.

We both studied international relations and made careers in related fields. We’ve always enjoyed traveling, and find it exciting to visit new places and cultures. Not the ‘check off the places’ type of traveling but really trying to get to know and experience other cultures.

We wanted our children to have the experience of living in another country, with a different language, history, culture. To see our own country, and indeed the world, from a fresh perspective.

To understand how our ‘home’ country makes us who we are, and how living elsewhere alters that. And to appreciate what is often taken for granted. So we searched for just the right opportunity to come along. And when it did, we leaped at the chance.

We decided to move to the Netherlands in 2009 when Husband took a job with an international organization. So that’s how Yours Truly (that would be me) came to be living in Den Haag (The Hague) with her husband (Husband), and two teenaged children: Daughter attended a local international school while Son headed back to the US after graduating from the international school to attend university, adding a bi-continental, multi-time zone aspect as we parented from afar. Oh, and we have one dear but dopey dog (Oli) and a perpetually startled cat (Ava).

I was so excited to find yours, too! Until now I’ve kept my FB life separate, but not sure how long that will last. I’m enjoying a marvelously sunny day here and it really takes me back to CH. Looking forward to spending time on your site as well. Please say hello to the family.

I love it when you make it clear that you don’t want to be called a ‘trailing spouse’, some sort of clinging bougainvillea (lol!!!). I agree with you 100%.
When people asked what brought me to the expat land, I always answer in such a way that doesn’t give the impression that I’m just tagging along my husband. After all, moving was a decision that was made together…

Anyone who thinks that one person (husband or wife) can ‘decide’ that it’s the thing to do and make the rest of the family do it without any emotional fallout is, as Daughter would say ‘cra cra’ (as in crazy). There are so many wonderful opportunities that come with living in different cultures, but as with ANYTHING, they come with a cost. It takes everyone’s cooperation, participation, their very best to help ensure that all come along together. We are NOT clinging vines, thank you very much!

I loved (love?) being an ex-pat. I lived in Sweden for 4 years, had an opportunity to cebome fluent in another language and culture, and when I came home to Canada (for what turned out to be a stupid reason) I didn’t fit in at all. I ultimately landed in the mountains of Colorado. Probably easier for me than some others as my parents are long dead and my only other relative is a brother living in Canada. It’s cool if we see each other every decade or two. Living where I am, of course, most of your communications/culture issues don’t apply, but after a year or so in Sweden they didn’t really apply either. You just buckle down, learn the language and use it. I didn’t speak english in Sweden for the last 2.5 years I was there. It’s hard, of course, but after a while it’s not. I often ponder returning to Sweden and the true ex-pat life just for the mental stimulation. To bad about the weather, though

Sweden is so beautiful and the summer sun is amazing, but you sure do pay for it the rest of the year, don’t you? Your story of going back ‘home’ only to find you don’t fit into your previous life anymore is one heard quite a bit. Repatriation is surprisingly difficult. It will be interesting to see whether you take off for foreign parts one day, or stay happily settled in Colorado. Thanks for sharing Marko.

I found your blog today – and it made my day! I’m a UN brat (now matured, sort of) who left the States when I was 10 and returned at the tender age of 45 … We lived in Honduras, the Philippines, Malaysia, Switzerland, Kenya, Lesotho and South Africa, with lots of side trips to other surrounding countries. Formal education sporadic and finished school in Lausanne. First job? Assistant to the EO of EA Professional Hunters’ Association … Also worked for the WWF HQ, the UN, a newspaper in Cape Town. Do I regret any of the experiences? Nope. One thing I do regret is that blogging wasn’t around so I could share so I’ve decided to have fun with a novel. I look forward to reading about your experiences. Thank you for such a wonderful site.

Thank you so much Judy, I’m so glad you shared your background. Husband (that’s how I refer to him on this blog) is doing his first tour with a UN org here in The Hague. In a previous life I did defense policy and in one job spent a lot of time dealing with UN HQ in NYC as well as some peacekeeping missions, etc. I’d be interested in your feelings about identity and ‘home’ that most expats/TCKs/Adult TCKs grapple with. (You can find some of the articles and posts on these subjects, and on the current literature, on the blog.) Funnier still, we moved here from Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) but I’m assuming you support the Pack

I too hate the term ‘trailing spouse’ and its clingy (and unemployed) connotation. I’m currently living in England with my husband and three very patient cats, working as a teacher and enjoying all of the strange aspects of living abroad. Anyway, I look forward to following your adventures in expat land!

Guess you aren’t bouganvillea or ivy, either Marina! Checked out your site (loved it, very cool) but noticed a cat is missing. I recently wrote about how we went from 2 cats/1 dog to 1/1 in this post A Delicate Balancing Act http://wp.me/p1iIk2-i6 Hard to lose a pet, especially when they help define ‘home’.

It’s so lovely to come across your site! As a fellow expat in the Netherlands it was refreshing to read your trials and tribulations in learning the language, I’m struggling through myself. Anyway, great blog and I’ll be sure to keep reading!

My name is Dhruv Gupta, and I am with InterNations.org. I really enjoyed reading your fantastic blog! I think expats in Netherlands and around the world could really gain some great insights [and have a few good laughs] on this page. The quality of the blog in general is very convincing, which is why I would love to feature you and your writing on the Recommended Blog on Netherlands section on InterNations.org
Not only do we feature and link to your blog prominently; we also would like to hear from you directly in our questionnaire! We have also designed a link badge for your blog.
If you are interested, please feel free to contact me via email: dhruv.gupta@internations.org
Best,
Dhruv Gupta

I am so glad I found your blog which is not only well written but also quite interesting, informative and entertaining.
Having lived and worked overseas for almost 14 years prior to my return to Canada, I can appreciate and value your stories and posts…You can be sure to have one loyal follower here…keep on trucking and thank you for sharing

Why thank you Baron. I really liked your post about supporting local businesses by getting gift certificates for their products/services. Would love to read some posts about where you lived/worked in your 14 years away. Did you find it difficult to adjust when you returned?

Kathy that is so kind, thank you very much. I loved the 7 things about yourself you wrote in the post (I forget, too!), and look forward to sharing my own. Will have to give it some thought. Thanks for a lovely surprise.

I’ve nominated you for the “One Lovely Blogger Award”.
I read many stories, blogs on WordPress, many I find motivating and inspiring, others insightful, plenty that I get a good laugh out of, and many showcasing their part of the world through photography.
I certainly enjoy reading yours.http://theheadmastershandbag.com/2012/09/14/one-lovely-blog-award/
Love,
theheadmastershandbag

This is such an awesome blog and so inspiring, especially your last post. I really need to get reading. I’m an English teacher and have been in London for the past 8 years or so, but just started blogging fairly recently and just in the last couple days made the switch to wordpress. I look forward to reading your further adventures.

Why thank you Pete, I appreciate that. I think it’s great that you’ve started blogging – a great way to express yourself, especially as an English teacher. I look forward to catching some of your posts at http://www.TheAmericanLondoner.com

I just stumbled across your blog and was gripped. I love your style of writing and I think you hit ‘the nail on the head’ beautifully when it comes to the joys and tribulations of expat life.

I will enjoy following your posts because it is very interesting for me to read about life in Den Haag through expat eyes. I am a perpetual expat (TCK) but I was born in Den Haag and still think of it as one of my homes. I am often back in the Netherlands to visit family.

What a lovely note, Ersatz Expat, that is very kind. I can imagine Den Haag being a great place to grow up: familiar and local yet also worldly as the seat of government and City of Peace and Justice. Your blog is off to a good start, keep blogging and sharing about life in Kazahkstan. Oh the stories you can tell!